Lucas Hutzler

First post:
Jul 17, 2017 Latest post:
Aug 21, 2017

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Lucas was born with a complex heart defect. His hear lacks the four chambers of a normal heart. Lucas, has essentially a single chamber. in this single chamber, the oxygenated blood from the lungs mixes with the spent blood that is returning from the rest of the body before being pumped into the lungs. This is where the problem lies, his blood does not carry sufficient oxygen, for him to grow and even survive as his activity level increases. There is no curative medical procedure, to correct the defect. His condition will require a minimum of two open heart surgeries before the age of 4. These surgeries while not curative, should prolong and improve his life until, hopefully, his early thirties; at which point he will need a heart and liver transplant.

Lucas spent the first week of his life in the NICU, where he was monitored to confirm his pulse oxygen levels were stable enough for him to come home. The first two months of his life Lucas has had to work hard to gain weight, because even eating is quite the chore. With support of his parents, his grand parents and his puppy, he has managed to put on a couple pounds since birth. As he gets older his skin has become increasingly blue, due to his pulse oxygen levels dropping.

The first surgery, Bi-Directional Glen, will be performed around 3-4 months in age. This surgery re-routs the blood flow from superior vena cava from the heart directly into the pulmonary artery. The second surgery, Fontan procedure, will be done at about three years old. This surgery, re-directs the blood from the inferior vena cava from the heart directly into the pulmonary artery. After both surgeries are complete, the only blood flowing into his heart will be oxygenated blood from the lungs.